Snack Credits OH MY!

[jelliott04]

We did the DxDP on our trip last week, which gave us each 2 snack credits per day. This was our first time using any DP other than TIW.

Under normal circumstances, we get snacks randomly. We each usually get a drink and a couple of popcorns to share. Or a Churo or pretzel etc.

HOWEVER...when it came to 20 snack credits we were overwhelmed with how to use them. Specifically how to get the "most" out of them, which worked against us in the end.

We found ourselves using cash to buy drinks because they were only "worth" $2. In the end, we ended up with 17 snack credits (we were charged wrong for a buffet and had a kids meal left which they turned into 3 snack credits). We had bowls of fruit and rice krispy treats and also zebra domes to take home.

All that take home food was fine because we happen to have an ice chest with us BUT next time we are going to try not to get bogged down in getting the most for our $$ and just using them like we normally would if paying cash. We ended up getting a good deal but ended up paying cash for things that we wouldn't have had to come out of pocket for. I guess it is a toss up.

Does that happen to anyone else?

Jen

 

[Sandisw]

It almost did last summer. The first few days of the trip, I was paying OOP for sodas thinking I might want to save the credits for "better" things.

By the 4th day, I realized that we were not using them up so I started using them for the drinks. We still had 5 left on our last day and was able to get some snacks to take to the airport with us for the flight home.

Next summer, I am not going to worry about it as I find that the plan has enough food that we tend to snack less and therefore, makes no sense to simply save them.

 

[clc053103]

We used ours for everything- even bottles of water- and still had credits left over for a few take-home treats and gifts. Sure, water and soda isn't your best value for a snack credit, but to me is better use than taking home all the treats and snacks that you don't really need!

 

[Petraman]

We did the DxDP on our trip last week, which gave us each 2 snack credits per day. This was our first time using any DP other than TIW.

Under normal circumstances, we get snacks randomly. We each usually get a drink and a couple of popcorns to share. Or a Churo or pretzel etc.

HOWEVER...when it came to 20 snack credits we were overwhelmed with how to use them. Specifically how to get the "most" out of them, which worked against us in the end.

We found ourselves using cash to buy drinks because they were only "worth" $2. In the end, we ended up with 17 snack credits (we were charged wrong for a buffet and had a kids meal left which they turned into 3 snack credits). We had bowls of fruit and rice krispy treats and also zebra domes to take home.

All that take home food was fine because we happen to have an ice chest with us BUT next time we are going to try not to get bogged down in getting the most for our $$ and just using them like we normally would if paying cash. We ended up getting a good deal but ended up paying cash for things that we wouldn't have had to come out of pocket for. I guess it is a toss up.

Does that happen to anyone else?

Jen

This is always a problem for most of us, but especially difficult when using the Deluxe plan. When you have the lower plans, you can use the snacks more wisely and get things that can be almost like a meal. But when you have so many TS credits, you don't need to use the snacks as meal fillers, and with 2 snacks per person per day.... that's a lot of snacking!

 

[Petraman]

We don't really like trying to take home snacks, but we have been known to use the creds to get little candy suckers, etc. for our DD's friends back home

 

[JackDiznee]

When we stayed for 8 nights in Oct, the store at SSR had a a floor display of items covered by the snack credit (non-refrigerated items). When our credits started piling up, the display made it easy to stock up on items for the last couple days of our trip and prevent losing them or using them on things we really did not want.

 

[LIFERBABE]

My strategy is credits first, cash later. If its something you want and its on the plan, then the instant grat part is great with the DDP.

Snack credits are great during Food and Wine Festival at Epcot

 

[ses1230]

You could check the DDP snack credit thread. It lists the regular prices so you could see how to make the most of your credits.

 

[chepic]

We had a bunch of credits left and went to DDD and went to I think goofy's candy shop and got a ton of chocolate covered pretzels and brought them home with us....yummy!!!

che

 

[Crystal_27]

We found ourselves using cash to buy drinks because they were only "worth" $2.
Jen

Yup - we've been there/done that (although we usually snap out of it about mid-way through our trip when we realize how many snack credits we still have left). What's worse with the drinks is when you use CS credits for breakfast and end up with 2 drinks (in lieu of dessert). So, even when we want to use snack credits for drinks, it never fails that we end up finding 2 or 3 unopened bottles of water (now hot) from breakfast.

 

[Cyndibear]

We found ourselves using cash to buy drinks because they were only "worth" $2.

I do this all the time with our snack credits and my Dh always laughs at me. I have a problem using the snack credits for a drink, just don't feel like it's a SNACK. To me a snack is food. Don't think I'll ever get over it eventhough we always have extra credits and end up taking home treats!

Cyndi

 

[disneynutz]

You would really be surprised how many snack and dining credits are never used and forfeited.

Every so often someone will post that they got tired of eating so much food so they forfeited their credits.

I think that we still have some cookies in the freezer from our last trip.

Bill

 

[get_us_to_WDW]

We always end up with snack credits leftover...not because we purposely try to get the most out of them...just because we buy a drink and forget to use the snack credit, or get a snack from somewhere that doesn't accept DDP, or because we just don't eat that many snacks!

The night before we depart I buy a bunch of novelty candies for my kids' friends, our neighbors, etc. It works out!

The trip when we ended up with 17 CS credits leftover (I still haven't figured out how we let that happen) - that was rough!

 

[joxer1014]

My little two cents here and I am not trying to put down or insult anyone. If was able to pay for the DxDDP the last thing I would worry about is getting the best bang for my snack buck. When we visit we get the regular DDP and even then we still seem to have a credit or two left over. If I had the Dx which gives 2 credits I would be living large to say the least!

My advice is just to enjoy your trip and if you run out the last day or two then start paying oop for those last few sodas or popcorns.

 

[bangzoom6877]

This is why DH and I decided to go for the TIW card this time. I am upgrading my ticket to an AP and buying TIW. We will end up with more TS meals we wanted to do, and not have to worry about using 40 snack credits (4 of us on a 10-night trip) and all those CS meals. And the costs come out less than the deluxe plan would cost us, even when factoring in snacks we actually would buy and even alcohol! And I factored in the cost of upgrading to the AP and the cost of TIW and we still will be paying the same or less than we would have paid had we stayed with the basic DDP and paid OOP for the extra TS meals.

 

[tjkraz]

In the end, we ended up with 17 snack credits (we were charged wrong for a buffet and had a kids meal left which they turned into 3 snack credits). We had bowls of fruit and rice krispy treats and also zebra domes to take home.

OK, so you paid cash for a soda because the $2 retail price didn't maximize the value of a snack credit.

Then you used your snack credits to stock up on fruit and rice krispie treats to take home...items that you could have purchased at home for well under $1 each.

Ah the dining plan strikes again...

 

[helloconnie]

Like PP said, if we have left over snack credits, on t he last day we head either to the MK Confectionary or the gift store at the resort and load up on goodies to take home. It's a nice way to continue your Disney trip once you get back home.

 

[christa112]

The very 1st time we used the DDP we had no idea what we were doing so at the end of the vacation we had tons of snack credits. We now use snack credits 1st from soda and bottled water to cup cakes and popcorn. I would rather run out of them 1st then let them go waste.

This last trip we used the credits on cupcakes, candy bars, ice cream cones, frozen lemonades, milkshakes, fudge, cotton candy, toffee bars, nachos, popcorn. Geez, all this talk about snacks is making me hungry!!!